Collection: Wine Share Picks

This month features wines the world over – Italy, Germany, Chile, & Spain, all told. From Germany, we have a supremely charming and punches-way-above-its-weight Rheinhessen Riesling from Weingut Thorle, whose estate has been around since the 16^th Century (!). Bone-dry and exceedingly delicious with super firm acid, it is everything you might want in a waning Summer Riesling. From Spain we have 2 bottlings from Catalonia: Celler 9+’s playful, salty, textured white composed of Cartoixà (Xarel.lo mutation with pink skins) & Macabeu, and there is also Sicus’s “Garrut,” an ode to the Catalonian Monastrell’s of yore that were maximal in every sense while retaining really bright acidity. It is animal as all get out, very juicy, tannic but developed due to the time in bottle (it is a 2019) and is a beguiling, hyper-expressive red of distinction. From Italy, we have 2 bottlings as well, both from the (general) north of the country: Marco Cordani’s lovely “Labaia,” a sparkling wine with a touch of skin-contact that helps even out how bright & aromatic the nose of the wine is – pop it on ice and enjoy with lunch; from the far, far north we have Cantine Garrone’s “Munaloss” which comes to us from the Val Ossolane, believed to be the birthplace of Nebbiolo. It would be about a 15 minute drive (as the crow would fly) from the Swiss border. “Munaloss” is Cantine Garrone’s entry-level red that shows off Prünent (aka Nebbiolo here) & Croatina from 40 different backyard growers (i.e. not commercial) in 4 villages of the valley. Alpine, herby, tightly drawn cherry-red charmer. To round out the share we have Roberto Henríquez’s 2020 “Tierra de Pumas” composed of 100% País from what is believed to be the oldest vineyard of the grape in the country – the vines which produce the fruit for this wine are over 250 years-old. Smoky, mineral, somehow juicy and light with an epic length and kind of latent tannin – stunner.